Friday, 31 October 2014

It's One Hour To Go until our first Halloween Ghosts Walk of 2014 kicks off… after which it's BACK TO NORMAL (!) with our blog.

To get the ball rolling, here's Foodie Ann, who's leading her Foodies London Walk tomorrow morning at 10:45a.m from Embankment Station…

If we survive tonight, that is… (Woo-ha-ha, a-woo-ha-ha-ha!)*

“It’s Halloween, the scariest night of the year. Witches and ghosts are abroad, not to mention small children trick or treating. A more ancient tradition is bobbing for apples – lean over a bowl of water and try to catch an apple with your teeth. Once you’ve caught your apple, sit in front of the mirror eating it by candlelight, and a vision of your future husband will appear over your shoulder… maybe.

Halloween also means pumpkins. When you’ve succeeded in hollowing out your pumpkin lantern, what are you going to do with the middle? Here are a few suggestions.

Boil or steam, mash, then use to stuff ravioli. Make a pumpkin risotto. Bake with tomatoes and cooked cannellini beans, or with cream and sage, or with sausages. Pumpkin soup. Candied pumpkin. Roast pumpkin with garlic and ginger, or with Indian spices. And you can always make pumpkin pie, and pretend it’s Thanksgiving.(* Spooky Laughter)A
London Walk costs £9 – £7 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your
guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all
London Walks can be found at www.walks.com.

Okay, we admit it. This Blue Plaque isn’t really dedicated to the trio of horrors listed above… but it does commemorate a genuine London movie legend. William Henry Pratt (born in south London, raised in Enfield) left England in 1909 for North America where, under the stage name of Boris Karloff, he embarked upon the life of an thesp. Supplementing his initially sporadic acting career with periods of manual labour, it was not until 1931 and his iconic portrayal of The Monster in James Whale’s inaugural “talkie” version of Frankenstein that he became a star. In addition to his famous horror roles – as The Mummy and in The Body Snatcher – Karloff enjoyed a long and varied stage career, starring in the works of Jean Annouilh, J.M Barrie and J.B Priestly on Broadway. His ghost is said to haunt Hollywood & Vine.A
London Walk costs £9 – £7 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your
guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all
London Walks can be found at www.walks.com.

For Halloween London List turns to matters supernatural and superstitious with five London baker’s dozens:

1. The Number 13 bus runs from Aldwych to Golders Green Bus station – alight there to visit Bram Stoker at Golders Green crematorium.

2. Shunning superstition, ex-Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack wore the number 13 on his back throughout his professional football career.

3. At the Savoy Grill, no table is ever set for 13 diners. Parties of 13 are treated to the company of Kaspar, the Savoy’s three-foot high alabaster cat – he is given a full place setting to stave off bad luck.

4. Of the 27 stations on the Jubilee Line, 13 are below ground.

5. Mary Kelly, fifth victim of Jack the Ripper, took a room at Miller’s Court, Spitalfields. Room number 13, of course.A
London Walk costs £9 – £7 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your
guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all
London Walks can be found at www.walks.com.